Prison culture: governance, leadership and staffing

Justice and Home Affairs Committee Open Inquiry
Opened: 30 Oct 2024 Parliament page
Read the Shorthand story: Our prisons are in a state of crisis The report 'Better prisons: less crime' was published on 16 July 2025. The Government response was published on 22 September. The report was debated on 12 February 2026.
1 Report
11 Oral sessions
14 Letters
15 Events
Activity timeline 31 events
28 Apr
2026
Correspondence
28 Apr
2026
Correspondence
31 Mar
2026
Correspondence
31 Mar
2026
Correspondence
10 Mar
2026
Correspondence
21 Oct
2025
Correspondence
22 Sep
2025
Report published
22 Sep
2025
Correspondence
16 Jul
2025
Report published
1 May
2025
Correspondence
29 Apr
2025
Correspondence
29 Apr
2025
Formal meeting (private meeting) · Room 2, Palace of Westminster
Oral evidence sessions 11 sessions
1 Apr 2025
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Phil Copple · HMPPS The Lord Timpson OBE DL · Ministry of Justice
18 Mar 2025
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Juliana Rowan Kate Fraser · Women in Prison Kieron Bryan Zak Addae-Kodua · xconversation
11 Mar 2025
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Andrew Neilson · The Howard League for Penal Reform Helen Berresford · Nacro
11 Feb 2025
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Dominic Herrington · Department for Education Louise Alexander · HMPPS Michelle Jarman-Howe · HM Prison and Probation Service
4 Feb 2025
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Dr Kristian Mjåland · University of Agder Professor Alison Liebling · University of Cambridge Professor Ben Crewe · University of Cambridge
28 Jan 2025
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Clare Pearson Julia Killick CBE Professor Lynn Saunders OBE · University of Derby Saj Zafar
21 Jan 2025
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Charlie Taylor · HM Inspectorate of Prisons
14 Jan 2025
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Gavin Miller · Community Trade Union Mark Fairhurst · Prison Officers Association
17 Dec 2024
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The Rt Hon Charles Clarke · Department for Education The Rt Hon Michael Gove
26 Nov 2024
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Genevieve Glaister Natasha Porter OBE · Unlocked Graduates Pia Sinha · Prison Reform Trust
19 Nov 2024
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Carl Davies · Prison Governors' Association Tom Wheatley · The Prison Governors’ Association Vanessa Frake-Harris MBE
Title HC No. Published Items Response
1st Report - Better prisons: less crime 16 Jul 2025 0 Responded
Correspondence 14 letters
28 Apr 2026 Letter dated 14 April 2026 from The Right Honourable David Lammy MP Deputy Prime Minister, Lord Chancellor & Secretary of State for Justice to the Chair regarding the government response to the independent review into releases in error
Parliament page
28 Apr 2026 Letter dated 15 April 2026 from Lord Timpson, Minister of State for Justice to the Chair, regarding Charlie Taylor, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons (HMCIP), issuing an Urgent Notification (UN) at HMP Woodhill
Parliament page
31 Mar 2026 Letter dated 20 March 2026 from Lord Timpson to the Chair regarding an update on the Ministry of Justice’s fire safety improvement works programme
Parliament page
31 Mar 2026 Letter dated 18 March 2026 from Charlie Taylor, HM Inspectorate of Prisons to the Chair regarding review of the potential of family contact in prisons
Parliament page
10 Mar 2026 Letter dated 10 March 2026 from Lord Timpson to the Chair with a progress update on the Committee’s report, Better Prisons: Less Crime, with a table of progress included
Parliament page
21 Oct 2025 Letter dated 10 October from Lord Timpson, Minister of State for Justice to the Chair, Justice and Home Affairs Committee in response to the Committee's letter following the publication of the Committee's report, Better prisons: Less Crime.
Parliament page
22 Sep 2025 Letter dated 18 September 2025 from the Chair, Justice and Home Affairs Committee to Lord Timpson, Minister for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending, in reply to the Government's response to the Committee's report Better prisons: less crime.
Parliament page
1 May 2025 Letter dated 25 April 2025 from Lord Timpson, Minister of State for Justice, to the Chair, Justice and Home Affairs Committee following the 1 April evidence session he attended on the Committee's current inquiry into prisons.
Parliament page
29 Apr 2025 Letter dated 4 April 2025 from Lord Timpson, Minister of State for Justice, to the Chair, Justice and Home Affairs Committee regarding the Future Prison Leaders Programme.
Parliament page
15 Apr 2025 Letter dated 10 April 2025 from the Chair, Justice and Home Affairs Committee to Phil Copple, Director General of Operations HMPPS regarding Unlocked Graduates
Parliament page
21 Mar 2025 Letter and Annex A from the Ministry of Justice to the Chair, Justice and Home Affairs Committee regarding the Committee's inquiry into prison culture: governance, leadership and staffing
Parliament page
21 Mar 2025 Letter dated 3 February 2025 from Lord Timpson, Minister of State for Justice, Ministry of Justice, to the Chair, Justice and Home Affairs Committee regarding Unlocked Graduates update.
Parliament page
3 Mar 2025 Letter dated 12 February 2025 Charlie Taylor, Chief Inspector of Prisons to the Chair, Justice and Home Affairs Committee regarding the Thematic Report: Time to care: What helps women cope in prison?
Parliament page
18 Dec 2024 Letter dated 17 December 2024 from the Chair, Justice and Home Affairs Committee, to Lord Timpson OBE, Minister for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending in relation to the Committee's inquiry on Prison culture: governance, leadership and staffing.
Parliament page